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Before You Sell Your Home You Should….

I would highly recommend against hastily selling one’s home. With that being said there are some steps to take to make the transition a positive and smooth experience.

* Call your listing agent before you do anything! An experienced realtor, such as myself, will be able to tell you where your house needs improvements and which improvements will help your house sell. You don’t want to spend money on projects that won’t help you sell in the long run.

* Price your house to sell or don’t list it. It sounds harsh but an overpriced listing just sits and doesn’t work out well for the seller. Often times when a house has been on the market for a long time it starts to get low bid offers because buyers assume you will be desperate to sell at that point. As your realtor I would be able to research the market area and give you a good idea as to what an effective selling price would be.

* Be ready to move BEFORE you list your home. Now that doesn’t mean you have to have everything boxed up and ready to go but make sure you have a place to stay/move in case someone buys immediately. It is rather stressful to try and orchestrate that after the fact.

* Clean, clean, clean (and organize). Before you list your home make sure you have sorted through the clutter and can present a clean and well organized home!

* Consider hiring a professional home stager. A well staged home sells much more quickly and closer to asking price. If you don’t want to spend the money on a professional home stager than ask your realtor for suggestions in staging. You will want to eliminate personal photographs, thin out the kids toys, pet beds, over-stuffed closets, and make your home as inviting as possible.

* If you are going to make any major changes focus on the flooring. Solid surface floors are very popular and try to assimilate the flooring in your home. Multiple flooring types are a big turn off.